1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, in general, to systems for monitoring and logging and managing operating parameters of land based vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to motor vehicles having onboard networks for the management and control of the motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
By design of their manufacturers, motor vehicles increasingly require real time data as part of their normal operation. Such data exists in varying levels of detail, and it is now possible to provide data analysts with substantial amounts of operating data. Typically, data analysts may be interested in providing recommendations to fleet operators, public service utilities, common carriers, business travelers, and personnel engaged in outside sales activities, as well as private owner/operators. Such data is being put to new uses. For example, in addition to preventive maintenance, such data is used by individuals charged with corporate responsibility for driver""s supervision, route and trip planning, for scheduling of customer services and for roadway tax reporting. In addition, from the motor vehicle manufacturer""s standpoint, analysis of collected data can help manufacturers refine vehicle designs to meet specific customer needs.
In the past, data recording systems have been provided to log certain limited operating variables incident to ground-based vehicle operation. One example is the accumulation of data from which gasoline mileage can be analyzed. The logging of more complex operating events requires a substantial increase in logging capabilities, oftentimes to the point where several logging devices are required to be operated in conjunction with one another.
More sophisticated general purpose data logging equipment is commercially available. However, in order to adequately address a relatively complex system such as that of a ground-based vehicle, a number of special purpose separate components would have to be obtained from different vendors. The resulting arrangement is unwieldy for regular commercial use of a motor vehicle. Further, the various added components must be carefully matched to each other and to vehicle systems designed by the motor vehicle manufacturer. It is important that the monitoring devices are not allowed to interfere with motor vehicle operation and that the data collected accurately reflects vehicle operating conditions, free of inadvertent aberrations caused by the data collecting system.
Motor vehicle manufacturers have been required to provide relatively sophisticated data networks interconnecting the various motor vehicle components and have designed these components to operate in response to data signals and commands. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data monitoring, collecting and managing system for use with a these types of vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data monitoring and collecting system of the type mentioned above which is suitable for real time data collection from a data network of an automotive vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide data collecting, monitoring and managing systems of the type described above which are implemented in a single compact package hardened against vibration and shocks and which is easily mountable in a motor vehicle.
A further object according to principles of the present invention is to provide a data collection and monitoring system in which components within the device package are related to discrete circuitry modules devoted to individual data collecting, monitoring and managing functions, so as to be readily exchanged for different motor vehicle applications.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle data collection and monitoring device powered by the motor vehicle electrical system, and having a reduced power consumption so as to avoid presenting a substantial electrical power load to the motor vehicle. A related object of the present invention is to provide the data collection and monitoring device with an automated power down operating feature, triggered in response to shutting off the engine of the motor vehicle.
These and other objects of the present invention are provided in a system for managing vehicle parameter data, for use with a vehicle having a plurality of sensor devices positioned on the vehicle for sensing operating parameters of the vehicle and for generating vehicle parameter data in response thereto, the vehicle further having an onboard vehicle data network for receiving vehicle parameter data from the plurality of sensor devices, the system comprising:
a device for mounting on-board the vehicle;
the device including a passive network connector for interconnecting a plurality of device network modules to the device to form a device network;
the device further including a plurality of device network modules connected to the passive network connector for data communication with one another;
the plurality of device network modules including a vehicle interface module with a connector for connection to the vehicle data network to receive vehicle parameter data therefrom;
the plurality of device network modules including a control module having a central processing unit with program memory storage for storing an operating program for the central processing unit;
the central processing unit and the vehicle interface module cooperating in accordance with the operating program to receive vehicle parameter data from the vehicle and to make the vehicle parameter data available to the device network.
Other objects of the present invention are provided in a system for managing vehicle parameter data, for use with a vehicle a having a vehicle electrical power circuit operable between ON and OFF conditions to initiate and to cease operation of portions of the vehicle, respectively, the vehicle further having at least one sensor device positioned on the vehicle for sensing an operating parameter of the vehicle and for generating vehicle parameter data in response thereto, the vehicle further having an onboard vehicle data network for receiving vehicle parameter data from the at least one sensor device, the system comprising:
a device for mounting on-board the vehicle;
the device including a network connector for interconnecting a plurality of device network modules to the device to form a device network;
the device further including a plurality of device network modules connected to the passive network connector for data communication with one another, the plurality of device network modules receiving electrical power from a device network electrical power source;
the plurality of device network modules including a sensor interface module with a connector for connection to the at least one sensor device to receive vehicle parameter data therefrom;
the plurality of device network modules includes a power monitor module coupled to the vehicle electrical power circuit to sense the ON and OFF conditions thereof and to interrupt power flow from the network electrical power source to the device network modules in response to sensing an OFF condition of the vehicle electrical power circuit.
Further objects of the present invention are provided in a system for managing vehicle parameter data, for use with a vehicle having at least one sensor device positioned on the vehicle for sensing an operating parameter of the vehicle and for generating vehicle parameter data in response thereto, the system comprising:
a first and a second device for mounting on-board the vehicle, each device including a network connector for interconnecting a plurality of device network modules to the device to form a device network, a plurality of device network modules connected to the network connector for data communication with one another, the plurality of device network modules including a control module having a central processing unit with a system clock and program memory storage for storing an operating program for the central processing unit;
at least one of the devices having a sensor interface module with a connector for connection to the at least one sensor device to receive vehicle parameter data therefrom,
the system clock of at least one of the devices being synchronizable to an external clock, and
a synchronization communication link between the system clocks for synchronizing the system clocks of one device to the system clock of the other device.
Still further objects of the present invention are provided in a method for generating a data configuration structure used to configure a system for monitoring and recording analog parameter data generated by a vehicle-mounted transducer having a voltage-time slope and network parameter data generated on a vehicle network, comprising the steps of:
entering in the data configuration structure, for each analog parameter:
a name of the parameter;
voltage values defining the voltage-time slope of the transducer;
engineering units to be assigned to the analog parameter data;
a storage threshold data value which must be exceeded before a change in parameter data is recognized;
entering in the data configuration structure, for each network parameter:
a name of the parameter;
the vehicle network address of the parameter;
scale and offset values for the parameter;
engineering units to be assigned to the vehicle network parameter;
entering in the data configuration structure, for each analog parameter, a storage threshold data value which must be exceeded before a change in parameter data is recognized;
entering in the data configuration structure, for each analog parameter and for each network parameter entered, a data representation format for parameter data;
the data representation format including one of the histogram format and the compressed time history format;
entering in the data configuration structure, for each histogram format specified, a bin range expressed in the engineering units assigned for the parameter receiving the data representation format; and
entering in the data configuration structure for each compressed time history format specified, a bin range, expressed in the engineering units assigned for the parameter receiving the data representation format; and a hysteresis value, expressed in the engineering units assigned for the parameter receiving the data representation format.